Exploring the connections between folklore and other folk tales, literature, and the current scene.

Thursday, January 31, 2013

The Icelandic horse and its home

Once out of Reykjavik and the lava fields, there are horses basically everywhere you look.

I felt like I was driving through Rohan as it is depicted in the film The Lord of the Rings. The horses grazed on the yellow grass on the flat plains, sometimes broken by ridges and large rocks, or small hills. Behind it all the blue mountains capped with white snow rose with majesty.

Horses

The plains

Driving through Rohan yet in Iceland

Rohan was shot in New Zealand. It's interesting how similar the landscape is.

Although the landscape is similar to Rohan, the horses are not like
those in the book or film. The book says, "Their horses were of great
stature, strong and clean-limbed; their grey coats glistened, their long
tails flowed in the wind, their, manes were braided on their proud
necks." -The Two Towers, by J.R.R. Tolkien

The Icelandic horse is a short animal (extra shaggy in my
photos because it is winter). Foreign horses are not allowed to enter
the country and once an Icelandic horse leaves the country it can never
return, so all horses on the island are purebred Icelandic horses.

The
horses are generally friendly too. Whenever they saw us nearing the
fences, a few of them would come over to it and let you pet them. Also,
they seem to be kept in groups. I don't remember seeing a lone horse in a
pen.

About Me

"Edana" means "fire" or "fiery" and is purportedly a latinized form of Irish Gaelic. I am a lively red-head who likes to defy the norms to a certain degree. I have long been interested in folklore and fantasy, especially that of Ireland, Scotland, and England. I like reading about the celts and Anglo-saxons, whether it is their own tales or their history. I especially like tales of battles and bravery that fill me with excitement and fire.
I was an Irish dancer until I graduated highschool and I now enjoy swing. Some of my other interests are soccer, handicrafts without directions(I like to learn the technique and then use my creativity), reading, traveling, camping, and exploring the woods.